E.U. Delays Vote On Software Patents Again

Law360 (November 23, 2004, 12:00 AM EST) -- European Union governments have once again delayed voting on a proposal for a controversial law that opponents say would allow the patenting of software in Europe.

Both proponents and opponents of the measure, which has been bitterly disputed since May, sought another delay for further consultations.

The European Commission has been pushing for the legislation as a means to make the European economy more competitive with the U.S. and Japan.

However, the law has met massive resistance from activists, including proponents of open-source software who claim...